Even Jesus would ask someone who came to him, what do you want. Yet that person seldom could come out and clearly state what was desired. Instead the person explained all the distractions and interferences. So working at clearly defining what you want is very important.
I suspect that that this inability to to clarify ones true desire is a common reason why many do not become personally invested in beginning any demanding enterprise. They never really learned to identify and addressed those contradictory issues within themselves. I think that not addressing that issue short cuts real success for many would be entrepreneurs and artists as well.
So now on a sheet of paper or on the computer list all the possible things you want in life whether they contradict or not. Where you want to live. How you want to spend your time. How you want to relate to family...friends colleagues, etc. How you want to spend leisure time. How much leisure time you want. What kind of public service you wish to give or feel you can give. What kind of housing you want. How much sleep do you need? etc. List them as broad goals.
After you want that write out a typical day and week, setting time to work on specific short term objectives that would direct your life to achieving your long term goals. Be carefull not to over plan. You may need to prioritize, giving more time and energy to certain goals.
I want to add a brief story before you begin. I know a very excellent Trompe-l'œil artist who does beautiful paintings of thematic subjects like his collections series of brushes, nails, shoes, etc. He working in the printing business most of his life, painting when ever and where ever he could, honing his skills. Then the day came when he determined he could paint without financial worry. He had several patrons. One offered his wife and him a trip to a French villa every spring. He took up the offer many times, using the opportunity to see many of the museums in Europe. He expressed the desire to sell more of his paintings so that he might receive a more consistent income from his paintings. He came to the conclusion that if he was in two galleries that were asking for new work every couple of months, he would need to paint all the time, even through family visits and vacations and celebrations. Painting would become a real rush job, like his printing business had been. He simply did not want to be that rushed. So he decided he did not want to pursue the galleries and the intense work it would require. Mine you his paintings technically were every bit as good, if not better than many more well connected and marketed artists. He came to the realization that he had conflicting interests. He had to chose and prioritize according to his own true desires. That is why it is important that you take several days if not weeks to list all your possible goals. Then you will need to assess how they conflict with one another and then prioritize them realizing that you have only 24 hours in a day.
